Abstract:
Chemical communication is used almost universally in the animal kingdom, however in humans, it is controversial. This work studies the effect of androstenone pheromone on women in the perception of photographed persons. The objective was to know whether this substance would change the judgment on the images. The participants assessed (on a scale of 1-10) attributes of seven photos of women and seven of men, before and after inhaling androstenone. The results were heterogeneous. After inhaling androstenone, the participants considered some photographed women as more attractive, warmer and less dominant, and some others as less reliable, less sensitive and less good, or less feminine. As regards photographed men, some of them were assessed as sexier, and some others as less manly or less attractive. Therefore, androstenone would enhance sexual appeal and its related attributes in persons who had been considered little attractive but, it would not produce any effect or even a contrary one in those persons judged before as very attractive.